Pneumatic-despatch-tube apparatus.



G. S. JENNINGS.

PNEUMATIQ DESPATGH TUBE APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1907.

1,009,316. 7 Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

V G. S. JENNINGS. PNEUMATIC DBSPATGH TUBE APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9, 1907.

1,009,316. Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

2 SHEBT S-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

CHESTER S. JENNINGS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO LAMSON CONSOLI- DATED STORE SERVICE COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PNEUMATIC-DESPATCH-TUIBE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1911.

Application filed May 9, 1907. Serial No. 372,718.

in pneumatic despatch tube apparatus and particularly to multiple unit systems wherein the cashiers desk or central station is separately connected with each of a plurality of substations by a single tube through which carriers may be transmitted in either direction to or from the central station.

The objects of this invention are to control the starting and stopping of the power from any station for producing air current for the driving of carriers; to limit the operation of the power to the interval of transmission of the carriers; and to control the direction of the air currents for transmitting the carriers in the desired directions.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a construction, Figure l is a diagrammatic view of a multiple unit system embodyin one form of my invention; Fig. 2 is an en arged sectional. view of a portion of a transmission tube showing one of the automatic circuit breakers; Fig. 3 is a section on line 83 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4; is an en larged sectional view of one of the terminals at the desk or central station.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

S represents a cashiers desk or central station and S and S represent substations; a transmission tube T connects each substation with the central station S, the terminals of said tubes T being open at the substations and at the central station, the terminals T are controlled by valves t (Fig. 4) normally held closed by springs t. In each tube T, there are two normally closed switches or circuit breakers t i each having a pivoted trip arm made in two parts 6 and i connected by a knuckle joint and eX- tending into the path of the carriers passing through the tube; of these two switches the switch t is opened by a carrier engaging its arm t 25 but only when said carrier is traveling toward desk S while the switch t is opened by a carrier engaging its arm t -t but only when said carrier is traveling toward the sub-stations, that is, the switch 25 is operated only by carriers traveling toward the desk S, while switch 25 is operated by carriers traveling away from the desk S. The member 25 is pivoted on a stud t projecting from casing t and connected with said member is a spring 23 which holds said member against the stop t covered on its exte- IlOI' with rubber.

The member t carries a bridge piece 25 which is normally held wedged between a pair of spring contacts t mounted on but insulated from the casing t When a carrier traveling in the direction of the full line arrow Fig. 2 strikes the member 25 both members t and t are swung on the stud carrying the bridge 23 out from between contacts t thereby breaking the circuit through said contacts and which circuits are hereinafter fully described. As soon as the arm t t is free of the carrier it is returned to normal position by springs i When arm t t is engaged by a carrier traveling in the direction indicated by the dotted line arrow, the member t alone swings on pintle t and immediately drops back into normal position again as soon as the carrier has passed so that at such times the switch is not operated. A stop If simi lar to stop t limits the upward movement of the member 22 To the casing of each terminal T is pivoted the valve t normally held closed by spring 6 and the opening controlled by this valve is directly opposite the end of transmission tube T so that carriers traveling toward desk S strikes said valve forcing it open and discharging through the opening.

WVhen a carrier is sent from desk S the operator opens valve 25, inserts the carrier swings the lock lever t up against valve 16 and energizes a magnet whose armature in the form of a pivoted latch lever 25 is swung into position to engage and lock the lever t in its upper position with valve t closed. Lever t is automatically maintained locked in this position until magnet is deenergized by the opening of switch 2f by the carrier just inserted as will be hereinafter described.

Located preferably at the central station S is an endless pipe or conduit A rectagular in shape as shown in Fig. l, and two opposite sides of this conduit A are connected by tubes a with the terminals T, while the other two sides are joined by a conduit a in which is located a blower B and two openings a a the latter controlled respectively by normally open valves a a The portion of the condult a controlled by the valve a is connected with the pressure side of the blower B forming a pressure drum or conduit while the portion of the conduit a controlled by the valve a is connected with the vacuum side of the blower forming a vacuum drum or conduit. In the conduit A,

one at each side of the junction therewith.

of each tube a, are two normally closed valves (1, a and to the stem of the valve a is fixed a lever a connected by a pin and slot with one end of a link a". The link a is pivotally connected at its other end to one of the arms of a bell crank lever a fixed to the stem of valve (1*. To the stem of each valve a is fixed a lever (4 connected by a pin and slot with one end of a link a which at its opposite end is connected to a bell crank lever a fixed to the stem of valve 0;. It will thus be clear that when either valve (i is swung in a direction to open its valve a and to pull on link a", the valve a will be closed, but owing to the pin and slot connection, the other valve a will remain in its normally closed position, the pin and slot connection between its lever a and link a permitting the latter to move idly with lever 0: In other words, by the construction just described, either valve a can be opened and valve a closed without disturbing the other valve a by operating one or the other of the levers a The same is true also of the valves (4 and a The two levers a and a of each pair of valves a and 0& are cooperatively ar ranged with relation to a lever (1, which, when swung in one direction, acts through lever a link a and bell crank a to open one of the Valves a and close the valve a and when swung in the opposite direction acts through lever a link at and bell crank a to open one of the valves a and close valve (0. For thus operating each lever (L13, two magnets a and a are provided for which said lever serves as an armature.

The blower B is driven through suitable connections by a motor M which is preferably though not necessarily normally at rest. When however the motor M and blower B are in action with the valves or a a a"? in normal positions, a current of air is forced through pipes at, said air entering at a and discharging at a Now if valve of be opened and valve a closed by operating one of the levers (L13, as described, the inlet a will be closed, and communication will be established between conduit A and tubes at and T, so that a current of air will flow from one or the other of stations S or S through tubes T and a to conduit A, (according to which valve a be thus opened). and thence through pipe a and blower B to outlet (4 and therefore, if a carrier be then inserted at S or S as the case may be, said carrier will be transmitted to the desk S and discharged through valve t. It, however, while the motor and blower are in action, the valve (1 is opened and Valve (0 is closed, by operating the lever a as describedfithe air will continue to enter at (63, but the outlet a being then closed, the air exhausted from blower B will be forced around through conduit A into and through ,tubes 0, and T to one or the other ofthe substations S or S according to which valve 0; is open. It will be plain therefore, that if a carrier is inserted at S, it will be transmitted by the air current to either substation S or S A feature of the above-described construction is that the two pairs of valves a and a are operable independently so that carriers can be simultaneously despatched through both tubes T at the same time and in either direction. Means are also provided whereby the operator at any substation can operate the proper valves cc a a or a to establish a current of air from that station to the desk, and also whereby an operator at the desk can operate the proper valve to es tablish a current of air from the desk to any one of the substations; automatic means are also provided to reset the valves when the carrier reaches its destination, said means comprising in part the switches 25 2,. At

button .9, and at the desk or central stat-ion, a push button 8 for each substation. The fixed contact of push button 8 is connected by a wire 8 with one of the stationary contacts t of switch i whose other stationary contact t is connected by a wire 8 with one pole of a battery X. The other pole of battery X is connected by a wire 8* with one of the coils of a magnet m. The other end of said coil is connected by a wire 5 with one end of the coil of the magnet (4 The other end of the coil of magnet a is connected by a wire 8 with the movable member of push button 8. Connected at one end with wire 8 at a point between magnets 'm and a is a. wire 8, connected through the coil of magnet a and wire 8 with the fixed contact of push button 8. The movable contact of push button 8 is connected by a wire 8 with one of the stationary contacts i of switch i while the other stationary contact i of said switch is connected with wire 8 by a wire s It will thus be seen that when either push but-ton s or s is closed, a circuit is made through battery X which includes magnet m and either magnet a or magnet The armature m of magnet m carries a bridge piece cooperating with a pair of contacts m in the circuit m and when said magnet is energized its armature connects contacts m and the motor M is thereby set each substation there is provided a push,

in action. Thus, when lever (Z13 is shifted by either magnet a or a to operate valves a -a or a a as above described, the motor M is simultaneously started.

The lever a besides the function already described, carries the movable member of a switch, it being provided with a contact a, cooperating with two contacts a and (L18, the contact a engaging with contact a when said lever a is swung in one direction, and with contact a when swung in the opposite direction. The contact a is connected with a wire .9 at a point between magnet a and push button 8 by a wire 8 while the contact a is connected with s at a point between magnet o and switch button 8 by a wire 8 The contact a is connected by a wire 8 with one end of the coil of magnet t, the opposite end thereof being connected by a wire 8 with wire 8 WVhen the push button .9 is closed and the magnet 0; thereby energized, the resulting movement of lever on closes a shunt which includes wire 8", contacts a and a wire s magnet t ,'wire s switch 25 and wire a so that the condition established by closing push button .9 will be maintained by this shunt after push button 5 has been allowed to open and until the carrier traveling from S to S operates to open the switch 1?. When this occurs, the magnets m and a are deenergized and the parts return to normal position. When push button 8 is closed to send a carrier from desk S to one of the substations, a circuitis closed which is as follows: from battery X through wire 8*, magnet 1%, wire a, wire 8, magnet A, wire 8, push button 8, wire 5, switch i wire 8 wire 8 switch i and through wire 8 back to battery X. As soon as lever a is shifted through the energizing of magnet a, a shunt circuit is closed at a a which extends from wire 8 through wire 8 contacts a and a wire 8, magnet t and wire 8 so that magnets m and 0t are maintained energized after push button 8 has been opened and until the carrier traveling from central station S to the substation S opens switch 2?. When this occurs, magnets m and a are denergized and the parts return to normal position. It will be ob served that the shunt circuit closed by movement of lever a in sending a carrier from central station S to substation S includes the magnet t, so that the valve t is locked closed and the travel of said carrier cannot be interrupted by the premature opening of said valve, that is, after the carrier has been started through tube T at central station S, the valve 25 is held locked in its closed position by magnet 25 until the circuit of the latter is broken at t or t by the carrier.

Having thus described the nature of my invention and set forth a construction embodying the same, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, a carrier transmission tube, opposite air-conduits communicating with the inner end of said transmission tube, valves controlling the passage of air through both conduits to and from the transmission tube, an air-pump located between the opposite airconduits, a branch pipe connecting the pressure side of the pump with the air-conduit on that side, a second branch pipe connecting the vacuum side of the pump with the air-conduit on that side, said branch pipes both having openings to the external air, valves controlling the openings to the external air of both branch pipes, and means actuating the valves controlling both air-conduits and the openings to the external air of both branch pipes so that said transmission tube can be opened to either the pressure or vacuum side of the pump to trans: mit carriers in either direction.

' 2. In a pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, a carrier transmission tube, opposite air-conduits communicating with the inner end of said transmission tube, valves normally closing both air-conduits to the passsage of air to and from the transmission tube, an air-pump located between the opposite air-conduits, a branch pipe connecting the pressure side of the pump with the airconduit on that side, a second branch pipe connecting the vacuum side of the pump with the air-conduit on that side, said branch pipes having openings to the external air, normally open valves located at the openings to the external air of both branch pipes, and means for simultaneouly moving the valves of the air-conduit and branch pipe on each side of the pump to connect the transmission tube with either the pressure or the vacuum side of the pump to transmit a carrier in either direction.

3. In a pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, a carrier transmission tube, opposite air-conduits communicating with the inner end of said transmission tube, valves normally closing both air-conduits to the passage of air to and from the transmission tube, an air-pump located between the opposite air-conduits, a branch pipe connecting the pressure side of the pump with the airconduit on that side, a second branch pipe connecting the vacuum side of the pump with the air-conduit on that side, said branch pipes having openings to the external air, normally open valves located at the openings to the external air of both branch pipes, means for simultaneously moving the valves of the air-conduit and branch pipe on each side of the pump to connect the transmission tube with either the pressure or vacuum side of the pump to transmit a carrier in either direction, and means actuated by a carrier approaching its destination to return the valves to their normal positions.

4. In a pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, a central station, a plurality of substations, a carrier transmission tube connecting the central and substations, opposite airconduits at the central station communicating with the inner end of said transmission tube, valves controlling the passage of air through both air-conduits to and from the transmission tube, an air-pump located at the central station between the opposite airconduits, a branch pipe connecting the pressure side of the pump with the air-conduit on that side, a second branch pipe connecting the vacuum side of the pump with the airconduit on that side, said branch pipes both having openings to the external air, valves controlling the openings of both branch pipes to the external air, a motor to drive said pump, means at the diiferent stations for starting and stopping said motor, and means at each station for operating the valves controlling both air-conduits and the openings to the external air of both branch pipes so that said transmission tube can be opened to either the pressure or vacuum side of the pump to transmit carriers in either direction.

5. In a pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, a central station, a plurality of substa tions, a carrier transmission tube connecting the central station with the substations, opposite air-conduits at the central station communicating with the inner end of the transmission tube, valves normally closing the communications of the opposite airconduits with the transmission tube, an air pump located between the opposite air-conduits, a branch pipe connecting the pressure side of the pump with the air-conduit on that side, a second branch pipe connecting the vacuum side of the pump with the airconduit on that side, said branch pipes having openings to the external air, normally open valves at the openings of the branch pipes to the external air, a motor for driving said pump, means at each station for starting and stopping said motor, means at each station for operating the valve of either air-conduit to open the same and to simultaneously close the valve at the opening of the branch pipe connected with the air-conduit where the latters valve is opened so that said transmission tube can be opened to either the pressure or the vacuum side of the pump to transmit carriers in either direction, and means actuated by a carrier approaching its destination to stop the motor and to return the valves to their normal positions.

6. In a pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, an air-pump, air-conduits on opposite sides of said pump, branch pipes having openings to the external air respectively connecting the pressure and vacuum sides of said pump with the opposite air-conduits, a plurality of carrier transmission tubes each communicating at its inner end with both of the opposite air-conduits, normally open valves at the openings to the external air of said branch pipes, valves normally closing. the passages of both air-conduits to each transmission tube, and means for operating said valves to open any one of said trans mission tubes to either the pressure side or to the vacuum side of the pump to transmit carriers in either direction.

7. In a pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, a central station, a plurality of substations, a single normally open tube for the transmission of carriers connecting each of said substations with said central station, an air pump, a motor adapted to operate said air pump, normally closed conduits or air supply tubes connecting each of said transmission tubes at said central station with the pressure and vacuum sides of said air pump,

air pump, a motor adapted to operate said air pump, normally closed conduits or air supply tubes connecting each of said transmisison tubes at said central station with the pressure and vacuum sides of said air pump, means located at each of said stations for starting said motor and controlling said connections to produce a current of air in its respective transmission tube in the proper direction for the transmission of carriers from said stations, and means for automatically stopping said motor and closing the connections controlling each of said transmission tubes after said carriers have arrived at their destination.

9. In a pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, a central station, a plurality of substations, a single normally open tube for the transmission of carriers connecting each of said substations with said central station, a pressure drum, a vacuum drum, normally closed conduits or suplpy tubes connecting each of said transmission tubes at said central station with said vacuum and pressure drums, and means located at each of said stations for opening communication with either said pressure or vacuum drum for creating a flow of air in its respective transmission tube in the proper direction for the transmission of carriers therethrough.

10. In a pneumatic despatch tube apparatus, a central station, a plurality of substations, a single normally, open tube for the transmission of carriers connecting each of said substations with said central station, a pressure drum, a vacuum drum, normally closed conduits or supply tubes connecting each of said transmission tubes at said central station with said vacuum and pressure drums, means located at each of said stations for opening communication with either said pressure or vacuum drum for creating a flow of air in its respective transmission tube in the proper direction for the transmission of carriers therethrough, and means for 5 automatically cutting ofi" communication of any of said transmission tubes with said ,pressurg or vacuum drum after said carriers CHESTER S. JENNINGS.

Witnesses:

A. L. MERNS, L. G. BARTLETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 'D. G. 

